It's Not my Time
by Serenity2012
Summary: The light dimmed and I made out the outline of a person with black hair, green eyes, and a seeker's build. "Harry?" I stuttered, the first of many kids all saying the same thing, "Why is there two of you?" Al travels back in time to his dad's DA lessons.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: How many of us wish we could wave our magic wands and make Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all ours? We could have Hogwarts and Zonko's, every piece of the world we like to dream of. Unfortunately, it's not going to happen anytime soon. Everything is J.K. Rowling's.

Ginny's POV:

It was the last D.A. meeting before the holidays, and I was both pleased and slightly-nauseous being there. My wand-work was pretty good, if I do say so myself. It was no secret that after Charms, Defense against the Dark Arts was my best class. Or at least it had been in the pre-Umbridge era. _No good toad._

Anyway, I was practicing the Bat-Boogey Hex on my boyfriend, Michael Corner, and I put a bit more oomph into it than I should have. I know, I know, it wasn't a nice thing to do. He had been a bit clingy lately, and maybe in my mind (scary place, you don't want to visit) this was a clear signal that he should leave me alone for more than two minutes a day! But if I was being honest with myself, I was also mad because Harry was over in the corner, laughing with Cho, after she failed to produce a Shield Charm for the fifth time in a row. How could he like her?

I was going off on a pretty good rant about annoying Saviors of the Wizarding World, with gorgeous emerald eyes, who were so much more amazing than people would think from just hearing their famous name. Sure, I had been a Harry Potter fan-girl once, but that was before what happened in the Chamber, before I got to know the real him through both observation and Ron's constant stories. I had watched him play Quidditch, hang out with his friends, stand up to teachers … and all of it made me love him for him, not as the Boy-Who-Lived.

It… he was totally impossible for several reasons. A) I was just his best mate's little sister. _Might as well put that on my gravestone so he could tell it's me._ B) Right now, Harry was staring into Cho's sparkling black eyes like he's hypnotized and C) that's the same way I'm supposed to be looking at the boy right in front of me. _Remember him?_ That little voice in my head,_ my conscious,_ screamed! Brown hair, brown eyes with little flecks of gold in them. Does the whole steering-you-around-puddles thing because he's so sure he can protect you from the world and all the bad things in it. "Not to mention he makes you want to roll your eyes twenty, maybe thirty times a day," I mumbled under my breath, but regretted it instantly. _Stop that! Bad Ginny._

Still, this was a fairly normal conversation for me to be having. With myself. And this was a fairly normal day for a kid living-and-learning in a thousand-year-old castle practically exploding with magic that was currently being lorded over by a Ministry hag in pink. So basically, not normal at all. But I wasn't expecting there to be a sudden burst of light in the center of the room.

It was like looking into the sun. Everyone turned their heads away, just out of reflex, but the second our eyes stopped watering, we realized that was a really stupid thing to do considering we could be dealing with Dark magic here. It dimmed, and I made out the outline of a person, with… familiar black hair… familiar green eyes… and a familiar seeker's build.

"H-h-harry?" I stuttered, the first out of a dozen freaked out kids all saying the same thing, "Why is there two of you?"

To give him credit (which I just don't do enough of, do I?), he didn't relax the grip on the wand he was pointing at his clone's chest just because there was this mirror image of him standing three feet away. If anything, he glared more, in that fiercely protective way I recognized from whenever he was defending his friends. "I don't know Ginny."

I tried to force back a chill when he said my name, especially since his attention had already snapped back to the double in question. "You! So you want to tell us who you are and what you're doing here?"

Shock. Shock was the first thing that flitted over the twin's face. Followed by panic as he looked back and forth between Harry and me. By the time he took in the whole room, and everybody in it, his skin had gotten several shades paler, and he said, in a shaky tone of voice, "Oh, you're going to kill me."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: I do not own Harry Potter.

Cho's POV:

"Cho?" Harry's voice washed over me, deep and soothing. Without turning around to face him, I closed my eyes, and imagined a world where I had accepted his invitation to the Yule Ball when he asked. That it was just him and no other. _Such a beautiful break from reality…._

"Cho?" He called again.

"Yes?" I was practically humming.

"You've got to hold it like this." He leaned over me to grab my wand-arm. He was trying to readjust my grip. I let him smooth my fingers down, even felt a rush of anticipation as his other hand brushed the small of my back as he worked, but I was no longer daydreaming.

Harry's real touch, his real heat wasn't something that I could experience without remembering all the times I spent with Cedric. He haunted me, but in such a way that _I_ became the ghost.

That's why whenever Harry and I were alone together, I always managed to bring _him_ up. I know that what Cedric and I had wasn't lost when he ventured into the graveyard that night, but the only way I knew how to get to it- the love, the passion, the memory- is through Harry. And it's either because he was the only one who knows what it was like for Cedric in his last moments, or because I cared about Harry in a way that reminded me of my ex-boyfriend. In either case I found I was always reaching out for him and Cedric at the same time. There were only moments when I could separate the two in my mind, and then I was always daydreaming.

"Protego," I whispered, while Marietta shouted the disarming spell. As expected, the wand flew out of my hand. I had the drive, but not the focus for Defense against the Dark Arts, not when it led to thoughts of Cedric and Harry, and the mess I'd made of my life….

"One more try," he coached. "It's a shield charm, so that means you've got to patch-up your mental defenses at the same time you're projecting." I obediently bend to grab my wand, swallowing the irrational feeling of disappointment when his eyes don't follow my figure, but instead, scan the crowd of students.

We practiced resolutely for a few minutes, but I think we could both tell that I wasn't getting any better. In a transparent attempt to distract me, he talked about all the damage Fred and George could do on the Quidditch pitch if they knew all their team-mates were shielded so they could hit the Bludgers with impunity. I laughed, even though Quidditch was becoming an increasingly sore topic for me. My talent for flying now seemed as lost to me as Cedric was… evaporated into thin air.

Harry's laugh was much more hardy. I gazed deep into his eyes, looking for some unknown quality lurking in the green shadows, which is how I first became aware of our newcomer's arrival- in a FLASH reflected on Harry's glasses.

All of a sudden, Harry stood taller. He whipped his wand out like a sword, his muscles stretched taut over his body. I gulped, realizing to my surprise that I was scared of him, the Tri-Wizard Tournament champion who despite facing dragons and sphinxes still came off as doleful and innocent.

My eyes followed the line of his arm, to his opponent, who looked like Harry in almost every respect.

"H-h-harry?" A random girl's voice floated over to us. A cursory glance revealed red hair, brown eyes, and freckles. "Why is there two of you?"

"I don't know Ginny," he said, taking an unconscious step in front of her, so that he was shielding her with his body. It probably never crossed his mind that he was leaving _me_ vulnerable to attack.

"You!" I jumped when he yelled at his doppelganger, "So you want to tell us who you are and what you're doing here?"

The other boy, who also had a very Cedric-esque look about him rocked on his heels, so he could look around Harry to the redhead. Harry. Redhead. Harry. Redhead. Then with a tone of absolute dread, he said, "You're going to kill me."

Harry blinked, lowering his arm about a fraction of an inch, "I don't know what you've been reading in the Prophet, but I'm not a psycho like everyone says. I'm only at risk of going off on you if you're here to hurt my friends."

"What? No!" the stranger waved his hands back in forth- only one of them was in a fist. It was hard to tell in the dim light of the room, but it looked like he was holding a necklace, something on a gold chain, with a heavy medallion on the end. "That's not what I meant to say. It's just… I've had a magical accident. I'm not supposed to be here, and yo- my parents will be furious if they find out. I won't be dead, but I'll be grounded for eternity, and that's only if I can find my way back."

Well that didn't sound so bad. There was no danger here. Everyone began making such a fuss over the new boy, talking about his hair, his clothes, his accent or rather lack of one. I let my mind wander some.

For a couple of weeks now, I'd been wondering if I could convince Harry to get his hair cut, just a little shorter in the back so that it wouldn't look so messy. Cedric's hair had been short, so that even when he was up his broom it looked stream-lined. In fact, I knew this cute little wizarding hair salon in Hogsmeade. All the stylists would just fawn over them there. He'd probably love having people remembering him as 'the Boy who Lived' now that the whole world was believing the Ministry fodder. Yes, I would do that.

I had just finished making my decision when someone pushed me from behind. I narrowed my eyes. _What idiot…?_

It was that Granger girl, the one everyone said should be in my house, running up to Harry's clone at about a million miles per second. "Is that…" she said, pointing to his necklace, "a time turner?"

"What?" He turned white, and tried stuffing the thing into his pocket. Did he think no-one would notice? Probably, he was a Hufflepuff who couldn't be sneaky to save his life….

"It is, isn't it?" she breathed.

I turned to Marietta, who normally glared the entire D.A. lesson, but now kept glancing towards the door "Have you ever heard of this time turner thing?"

She sniffed, "In _stories,_ yeah. But who really believes there are hourglasses that can take you to the past?"

"I do," said a kid named Michael Corner with an appreciative look at both of us. I flicked a strand of hair out behind me. "My uncle works in the Ministry testing out new inventions. A couple of years ago, he came home with a prototype- nothing as fancy as _that_, but we could go back a couple of seconds. Rumor is the magic has gotten a lot more advanced."

"Wow!"

Interested now, I turned back to Hermia? Hermione. She was running her fingers over the necklace lovingly and I realized that while the class was going on, Harry's visitor still hadn't answered her question. He was backed into a corner, both literally and figuratively, and muttering under his breath, "I'm so going to get you back for this Wyler."

"Well?" I asked him point-blank. He couldn't stall forever.

"Yes," he admitted with a sigh, "It's a time turner. I'm from the future."

"Do you know how _dangerous_ time travel is?" Hermione screeched. "You're not supposed to let yourself be seen with one of these. Now we'll have to erase everyone's memory…." She went on and on about the dangers involved with travelling. "There are cases where people have splinched themselves across time, you know. You're lucky you didn't get hurt, and that all your body parts are still attached."

Thankfully, Harry cut through all her nonsense with the question that was on all of our minds, "When did you come from, then?

"You're fifteen d- Harry?"

"Yes."

He flattened his bangs nervously, counting up the math, "Twenty _five_ years, give or take a few."

"What?" Harry's eyes grew wide, "But that's…"

"Impossible." Future Boy supplied wryly, "You're the Boy who Lived. I don't think you're allowed to say what is and is not possible."

No-one could really argue with that, but Harry still looked a little dizzy. The red-haired girl (What was her _name?_) came up and tugged him by the elbow to a bean bag chair the room provided. "It always surprises me just how crazy your life is _all the time_," she whispered, sitting cross legged beside him.

"Yeah," he flashed her a grateful smile, "But mostly it's worth it." I thought that he looked into her eyes for a second longer than necessary. I started re-evaluating her: straight teeth, pale complexion. She might be pretty with the right kind of clothing and make-up.

My mind flashed back to the flirty French girl who was after Cedric in the early days of the Triwizard Tournament. Just like then, I promised myself to be a stitch at his side, just so the vultures in the wings would know he was already _with_ someone.

Harry finally pulled himself away from his fascinating conversation with _her_ to talk to the time traveler again. He asked if there were, "Any other bombs you want to drop on me while I'm sitting down," then flashed his teeth, jokingly.

"Uh, just one." Harry's twin held up a tentative finger.

The room sucked in a breath. Harry's smile flickered and died. I tried inching over to him so that he had someone other than the red-head to turn to for support. I mean, it was obvious something big was going on, but nothing that would affect how he felt about me or the beautiful life we were going to build together.

"You and Ginny…" he began, just as a foot came out of the crowd and tripped me. I fell on my face still a couple of feet away, "are my parents."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo".


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I do not own Harry Potter.

Ginny's POV:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo!" Anyone who thought that _Cho bloody Chang_ could scream like Crookshanks after Ron threw him in the bathtub should be made Prophet of the Year. Luna's blonde bangs covered her eyes, so it was impossible to read her expression, but several kids watched her discretely pulling back her leg….

No doubt, I owed her a "thank you" somewhere down the road (In fact, I'd have everyone sign a card: "Congratulations on defeating the Wicked Witch of the West"), but, right then, I was feeling a little tripped up myself. Blood rushed through my ears. My heart fluttered like a bird throwing itself against his cage. Did the time traveler just say…

"Hi Mum, hi Dad" he smiled weakly, hands shoved deep down the pockets of his robes, "Never expected to meet me this early, did you?"

"Absolutely not." I was surprised I could even _talk_ at that point.

Harry was definitely looking a little green, but my pratt of a boyfriend was the one who demanded my attention. "You don't believe this circus act, do you?" he said, trying to wrap an arm around my waist. I pushed him away, thinking, _It's for your own protection. Now, you are squarely out of Bat-Boogey Hex range._

"Let me handle this," I hissed.

"How?" his voice rasped, "Are you going to throw yourself into Harry's arms?"

"That's _none_ of your business." I said, blushing.

"What do you mean it's none of my business? We've been dating for _months._"

"But you're acting like I'm cheating on you!" I screamed. His muscles flexed experimentally, but I plowed on. "This," I motioned to indicate the world in general, "is all in the future. Obviously, something happens between us, something big. Who's to say the problems didn't start with you bossing me around all the time? Just calm down, Michael, please."

He grumbled to himself, and to Cho, who looked ready to burst into tears again, but at least they weren't causing any major scenes. I took a deep breath and glanced at… my son. His face burned Weasley red from embarrassment. _So, there is a little bit of me in there somewhere. _That didn't mean I knew how to react to him.

Why weren't there guide-books for this: What to do when a great big lottery chunk from the future falls into your lap? I knew the walls I'd built around my heart, made up of images of Michael and I together, were quaking dangerously, but they still remained standing.

_It's a warning, _I thought to myself,ignoring the murmurs from the crowd, _like when McGonogall tells me one more "accidental" fight with Tori Morgan will get me detention for a week. _

_There was nothing I could do about the fact my kid decided to pop into our time, but from now I'll have a choice. It's up to me to decide how many of my illusions I'll risk. How much of Michael I'm willing to give up._

In the middle of my internal debate, I realized I was being pretty rude. It was also painfully obvious that my son didn't like people staring, and he would be suffocated by the attention until I started talking.

"What's your name?" I asked, wondering where else on the planet would a mother have to ask her child to introduce himself.

"Al. Well, it's Albus really, but I prefer Al."

"After Dumbledore?" I was surprised.

He laughed, "I guess you thought I didn't have enough to live up to. No, I had to be Harry Potter's son AND named after the most brilliant wizard of the century." Then he quickly grew somber, glaring at the crowd of people who pressed closer to listen.

"But that's just like your father. I suppose he's never told you all he's been through at school." These were just like the conversations I had with myself about Harry, going over everything he'd ever said to me, everything I'd guessed about him in the hours before I fell asleep. _How stupid can I get?_

"No," Al perked up, "He doesn't like talking about the years when Voldemort was gaining power."

"Because he didn't want you to treat him differently. The D.A.'s the exception, but there are a lot of idiots out there who either believe he's crazy and always making up lies, or they fawn at his feet screaming "my hero, my hero". None of it's real, none of those people know him, but they know his _name_. It's taken Harry a while to show them he's not only accountable as "The Boy who Lived" but for other things he's done. If we called you Albus, it wasn't because we wanted you to be like the Headmaster. Can you imagine how scary that would be? It's because we believe you could make a name for yourself."

I felt rather proud after my speech. It was probably the longest I had ever given, but the surge of absolute pleasure came afterwards when I felt a hand grab mine- slightly calloused, but warm and reassuring. _Harry._ He still looked pretty shocked, but I think he'd mostly gotten over Albus's news. He was shocked by me! "How'd you know that stuff about me?" He asked, eyebrows scrunched together, "I've never actually told people how I felt… about living up to expectations".

"Like Hermione and Ron can't tell by looking at your face." I chortled, "You'll go up against Dementors and Umbridge, who sucks life out of you just as bad, but standing in front of a crowd and talking about yourself is torture."

He smiled sheepishly and flattened down his bangs. _So gorgeous._

"Eh hem," Al cleared his throat, "Remember I've lived with you guys for fifteen years. I know that once you go into your own little world, it's impossible to bring you back."

"Smart ass," I smirked, unconsciously leaning in to Harry's side. He glanced at Cho, back down at me, but then his body relaxed. I could hear his pulse, like the steady beat of time.

**Author's Notes: I want to thank everybody who reviewed: Arashigan16, Javi'Cullen'Potter, XxkateexX, Analie209, People-are-Crazy, Phantom Sorceress, Bucky5, kiwifan13, FantasyFreak101, and Analie209.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: I'm so relieved. I just finished taking the ACT for the first time. How is it at all sane that we have to pay to take a test?**

**You should know by now, I do not own Harry Potter.**

Cho's POV:

_Why is he doing this to me? Harry- he's supposed to be _my_ Harry- and not somebody else's boyfriend._ But even as I thought it, I could see the difference between hers and mine. Harry seemed more open around Ginny, like someone who is watching the sun rise by themselves. They don't try to hide their awe or their wonderment, they just feel. They show.

The two of them would always shine brightly together, and I would go blind if I looked at them more, so I forced my eyes away. I was standing next to Michael Corner, the other major loser to come out of all this.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to him, squeezing his elbow gently.

"Well, I'm not," he lied, puffing himself up to look taller, "I can't believe she's been using me. Does she honestly think that this guy will do any better for her? A couple of weeks from now, famous Harry Potter will be off flirting with the next girl, not giving a damn. I'll bet you anything… She'll want my arm to cry on then."

I'd already seen how the next ten, twenty, thirty years of their life played out. They were happy and married, probably couldn't imagine what it would be like without each other…. I mean here was Al to prove it.

But I was feeling vindictive and petty. I wanted to believe what Michael said was true because it fell in line with my views of the world before a few moments ago. There was no guy who didn't want me, love me, no chance that I wouldn't get back everything I'd lost and more. I was _Cho Chang._

"Yeah," I said, agreeing, "They're both making a big mistake."

We grinned like conspirators.

Ginny's POV:

Bill. Charlie. Percy. Ron. Even my mother had said it a few times while I was growing up, "Don't be stupid Gin. Chances are you won't ever meet Harry Potter, let alone marry him. The best thing for you to do is to try to get over this crush. You'll meet your prince when you're ready- a long, long time from now."

Well, I showed them, didn't I? I could do anything I set my mind to and Harry had been one of the most permanent fixtures in my thoughts, giving me advice, inspiring me to be a better person or a better rebel…. It depended on the day.

But no matter how much I usually liked to wave an "I told you so" in front of my brother's nose, I felt no desire to do so now. I could see Ron's pale face, dotted with freckles like constellations, and I knew he understood everything that had happened, but I was already too happy just being with Harry to gloat.

I'd done a lot of selfish things in my life, a lot of mean things, but I loved Harry absolutely, completely, selflessly. If he had never looked in my direction, I would have been unhappy dealing with Michael's arrogance and whatever faults future boyfriends might have, but I would have left him alone. If that was what he wanted….

"Would you mind… telling us how this happened," Harry asked Al, shrugging his left shoulder since he was still holding on to me with his right hand, "When do Ginny and I are start dating in your time?"

Al grinned, "Not until sixth year, but then you said it was stupid of you to wait that long."

"Stupid," Harry repeated, emphatically, rubbing slow circles over my knuckles.

"Wait, I'm not done," Al said, looking like he had fun messing with his dad, "I think your exact words were, 'I loved your mother for a lot longer than I'd realized. Couldn't look past Cho Chang for two seconds to see how much.'"

That gave me pause. It was probably the first time since my second year that I reacted to someone by staring down at my feet. "But he broke up with her, right?" I didn't know how I'd feel about being a consolation prize.

Al nodded, "After a disastrous first date. When Dad told me and James about it, James actually stopped kissing ever girl he saw for a year."

"That's good," my voice swelled with relief, "I-"

"Who's James?" Harry wondered. And I realized that this couldn't mean Harry's father.

"My brother. He's a seventh year and a havoc to the school. Lily's thirteen, but she's the only one who can handle him, especially since she got _the map_." He lifted his eyebrows suggestively. I raised my own, practically above my hairline. What did _that_ look mean?

"Wait, wait, wait!" an excited voice, and red hair, cut through the crowd. I guess someone had finally lifted that Silencing Charm off Ron, "They have _three_ kids! Blimey! Fred, George, don't you have some problem with this?"

"Nah," They said in unison.

"Harry has always been-"

"-the best guy for her."

"And-"

"He's like-"

"-our brother"

I briefly considered what would happen if the twins practiced Occulemncy. Would they still be able to talk like a broken recorder?

"No kidding" Al said, rolling his emerald green eyes, "But it's not like three kids are all that many, Uncle Ron. You and Aunt Hermione have two."

Even though I didn't feel like teasing Ron about my own happiness, nothing and I mean _nothing,_ would stop me from bursting with this news. I glanced at Harry and saw his eyes frothing with mirth. Silently, I told him, _This will be the first of a lifetime of laughs together._

His answer was just as quick, _Yeah, it will be nice- having someone to joke with when they're bickering. Being their go-between might almost be fun then._

_The fighting just meant they were already acting like an old married-couple._

We chuckled.

"So Hermione," It was about time I brought the spotlight crashing down on my blushing best friend, "Thought of any names yet? Because I know you like that one Muggle author… Viktor- Victor-"

"Hugo" Al supplied.

"Yeah, Victor Hugo."

"No, _Hugo._ It's the name of my cousin." Oh, that did it. Hermione started squealing like he had said, "An expanded version of _Hogwarts, A History_ will be released before my first year at school." _Hmmm, Maybe, I should him ask him about that. Get a head-start on my Christmas shopping for next… decade._

And then Ron did something _unspeakably_ bold. Really, he didn't talk. He just walked up to Hermione, sort of swooped her into his arms (he's not very graceful, mind you) and kissed her. The room dissolved into cheers, Harry and I whooping and hollering with the rest of them.

Cho's POV:

"So the bushy-haired freak ends up with Ginny's brother. What's the big deal?" Michael asked.

"The big deal is now none of the other girls will have to worry about Ron drooling after them." He'd been one of that French-ie's many admirers last year. It's a good thing her Veela charm didn't work as well on Cedric, or I'd have to put a leash on him.

I realized with a jolt that the weight of Cedric's death pressed down on me less than it had this morning. It was still present, but I could laugh when Michael made a joke, and feel sympathy for him while his face grew more and more clouded. Both physically and personality-wise, he was completely opposite my ex-boyfriend. Now, I felt intrigued.

If I was ever going to get over _him,_ them, then maybe I shouldn't be looking for their type: the handsome, naive, hero. Maybe, I needed someone who didn't wear this mask of modesty, who wouldn't shy around their feelings for me, but just dove in. _I want you, I want you now and I'll get what I want. _That sort of thing.

Tentatively, I brushed a strand of hair by Michael's ear. He didn't even flinch, but just kept letting me run my fingers through it. It was brown, like light leather, like hard-wooden floors. _A warmer color that Harry and Cedric's black tresses after all,_ I decided.

**Author's Notes: Hey, thank you guys so much for all the reviews. Shout-outs to: ravenclawforlife, Bucky5, sbmcneil, satire fire, favfantasy, Arashigan16, Dancethroughlife, jadeismycolor, GinnylovesHarry7, People-Are-Crazy, whispered touches, Jessica682, , jojor99, Javi'Cullen'Potter and ..  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes: Sorry if this came a little later than usual, but it's been a crazy week. School, the ACTS tend to take a lot out of me.**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

Ginny's POV:

Hermione pulled away from my brother looking thoroughly snogged. The shouting and the cheers didn't even faze her; she just stayed perched on her toes, like a bird who wasn't ready to come down from a high place. Of course, Ron had to ruin it by patting her back awkwardly. _He's not a romantic, so it's lucky he's got Hermione to teach him a thing or two._

_Yeah right. And I'm a hippogriff._ I registered the thought from off to my left… shrugged. He was probably right.

"Mum!" Al startled me. Apparently, he'd taken advantage of all the chaos in the room to move closer to the corner Harry and I were in. Standing side by side, most of the DA wouldn't be able to tell them apart, but Al was still a few inches shorter. "What do you think of my match-making skills?"

I raised my eyebrows speculatively, "It's not like this is challenging for you. You're from the future."

"And you're fast on a broom," he huffed, "Does that mean we should put weights on the end of your Lightningbolt every time we go for a ride? So you can't use _that_ to your advantage?"

The corners of my mouth twitched into a smile, "That's different!" I said, already anticipating the, "How?"

"I'm the mother, Al. I can ground you anytime I want, but you're still not allowed to ground me _or_ my broom."

"Ha, ha, Very funny." I was still at the age I could be considered corny, not embarrassing.

"_I_ thought so."

We kept on going back and forth; Harry looking like he'd never met two creatures like us before. It was a pretty good feeling and I responded cheekily, _You'll have to get used to it._

_What are you talking about?_ "This is great. I've never had a family before." When he put it that plainly, it was hard not to get struck by the tragedy of his story all over again. What could it have been like not to be surrounded by a horde of brothers, the bustle and clutter of a full house?

_Pretty miserable._

"Do me a favor, Dad," Al's face suddenly darkened. "Remember this feeling a few decades from now. Maybe, you'll go easy on my punishment."

"Am I really that bad?" Harry winced. With the rough time he'd had at his aunt and uncle's place, he probably feared turning out just like them.

"No," he paused, "But Mom's just like Grandma. As far as I know, you're the only person in the world who can keep me from going deaf." I thought that this was a rather bold thing for him to say, but then Harry looked at me, black hair tumbling off his forehead, green eyes sparking dangerously, and I knew I was sunk.

"Just don't get them out of too much trouble," I grumbled, "Your magic power over me must wear out eventually."

He seemed surprised at first, but then, he'd always had a slow-breaking smile. "I hope not," he said, reaching up a hand to brush my cheek. He dropped it almost instantly, like I was too-hot cup of tea, and I bit my lip, worried. "You might realize what an uneven match I am for you and go running back to Michael."

_Idiot,_ I thought with relief. Al simply rolled his eyes.

"Cho's over there too," I swiped back at him, "She probably could use some comforting." _Please don't, _I added mentally.

"More than I can give her, I think. I don't want any more drama in my life."

"What _do_ you want?" I asked, the slightest bit of challenge in my voice. He collapsed back into his bean-bag chair, and since our hands were still clasped, he took me with him.

"I want… this. Just this," he gathered me in his arms, gazed up at Al adoringly.

"You know me, Gin," he said, after a moment, "I didn't know how well you know me. But the moment you said those things, I felt this click. Like I'd found my place. How much time have I spent thinking about my future? Not much, not anything but when Voldemort is going to get me. But if I survive all that, if I get to see the world when it's not under attack and scared, I'd be out looking for a wife and kids who know me and love me anyway. For someone strong and beautiful and fiery, just the way you are." He touched my forehead with his own. And I realized it wasn't just my own walls collapsing, that had already collapsed. _Our time._

An eternity later, we stopped all the mushy stuff at Al's request and were peppering him with questions.

"Come on, tell us," I asked Al, "How'd you end up here?"

"Wait," Harry said, scooting me off his lap, "I'll go get Ron and Hermione." He looked a little hesitant about approaching the new couple, but there was no way we couldn't include them in this.

When the three of them loped back over to our seating area, I noticed how everyone was smiling broadly. It took only a minute for the five of us to get settled; a while longer for the rest of the D.A. to arrange themselves in groups for eavesdropping, without looking like they were eavesdropping.

"Where did you get the turner?" I was eager for the story-telling to begin.

"Na-uh, not yet. Since I travelled through time, my beginning, middle, and end of the story are different from what they would be normally. I think I should start with the moment I was disappearing." It seemed like kind of a strange request, but I was already starting to guess that my son liked books and building suspense. His voice started out slow and raspy, but then began to pick up speed, "It felt like I was drowning…."

**Author's Notes: The next chapter is Al's flashback. Then a few updates after that, we'll see about the business of getting him home without ruining everything he's started with the D.A. Thank-yous to: Ginny-T-Potter, Bucky5, fayeginnybrown, jadeismycolor, Dancethroughlife, jojor99, GinnylovesHarry7, Javi'Cullen'Potter, Arashigan16, findyourhappyplace, whispered touches, and Jessica682, plus all those who marked "It's not my Time" as a favorite or an alert.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Important Author's Notes: This chapter was kind of hard for me to write. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I know that there are a lot of people who marked "It's not my Time" as a favorite, but my number of reviews have also gone way down. I understand. I planned for that chapter to be sort of short and sweet, not nearly as explosive as some of the others have been, but that doesn't mean it can't be a bummer. With that in mind, I want to dedicate this latest update to **_**Whispered Touches,**_** whose really nice review is what drove me back to my laptop, in spite of a lot of homework and my downer mood.**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

Al's POV:

"Drop it, Al. You've got to keep yourself from going!" Rose's voice should have been sharp with fear, but all around me sounds were lapping together, so that it was like a wave in my ears.

"What? What are you saying?" I asked, deafly; at the same time wondering why I couldn't feel my legs. There was only a faint tingling sensation that let me know where they _should_ be.

"Oh, please pay attention!" she mouthed, "You're holding onto a time turner, Al. It's my time turner. The one McGonnagal gave me so I could make all my NEWT classes. Do you understand?" Her face scrunched up, the same way it does when she cries, but with everything looking underwater to me, it could just be my imagination…. "Nobody was supposed to know…."

I tried wiggling my fingers some. Maybe I could give her my hand? It would probably make the both of us feel better. Instead, cold metal bit my palm, making it bleed. It looked like a chain of some sort. Gold with a little hourglass on the end.

Rose's words finally floated over me and I gave a little jerk of recognition. She shuddered, then continued. "But then, today Wyler came up to me after Charms," she spoke quickly and I had more trouble reading her lips, "None of the Slytherins really understand what Scorp is doing dating a Half-Blood…."

I narrowed my eyes, infinitesimally. "I know, I know, they're prejudiced gits. But see, you wouldn't be disappearing right now if you hadn't tried defending me." I couldn't hear her. I was starting to have troubling seeing her, but a wave of her sadness and guilt crashed over me loud and clear.

"Not… your… fault." I barely managed, knowing I wouldn't be there by the time she answered back.

Vanishing wasn't so bad. I became particles floating around in space, growing smaller and smaller the farther back I went. I watched my life go backwards, starting with the fight with Wyler, so I guess I was going to see the rest of the story after all. I still hated that punk.

Hated him more when I saw him back Rose up to a stone wall, black hair hanging over his forehead. "Are you kidding? You're it? The one everybody's been talking about?" His laugh seemed even more cruel because of the way it reached his eyes, lit them up with manic pleasure, "I was expecting so much more from the girl who turned Scorpious Malfoy's head."

"Oh, you're right," she jeered, "I'm not *special* enough to have made a completely different person out of him, so I guess that means he was decent to begin with. You, on the other hand are so vile and… disgusting, that it would take more Transfiguration power than Merlin has to make you something anyone would even look at."

"Not- funny," he growled, so that his dog-breath stirred her red hair from around her face. He looked her over carefully for a few seconds, but then his gaze dropped lower…. If only my non-existent looks could kill.

I guess that's when he caught sight of the pretty gold chain barely visible under the collar of her school robes.

"What's this," he smirked, hooking one finger underneath the metal, "A gift from your pretty-boy boyfriend? Well, I think I might just have to take this with me." Rose started struggling harder, her cheeks reddening from the strain to lift a 200 lb. guy off on her. "Help!" she squeaked, as he yanked the necklace off her and waved it in the air triumphantly. "Help!" she called again.

A split second later I see my past-self running towards the sound of her harsh screams. It was a relief. I hated standing there observing while my cousin was being tortured. Would it be weird to say that I trusted myself to have her back?

"Rose!" I/he screamed, holding my wand out straight. I ended up bursting into the room with the thing already pointed at Wyler's chest. "WHAT do you think you're doing?"

"P-Potter!" He barely stuttered, but I still caught it. Hagrid had told me in confidence that when I was angry I sounded a lot like my dad, and since many people had seen and RECORDED his fight with Voldemort, they knew it was not a face to be messed with. The green eyes I'd gotten from Grandma Lily flashed triumphantly, "That's right. But I wouldn't be scared of me if I was you. You forget who's behind you."

Rose's wand had clattered to the floor when Wyler attacked, but as soon as I entered the scene, she scooped it up, loving the familiar weight of a weapon in her hands. "Ricastra!" she yelled, shooting the bully with a stream of gold light. It went straight through his back, but stuck out from his chest like an arrow had pierced him.

He clutched his heart dangerously, swaying on his feet, so that he actually LEANED on me for support. I let him, but only because I was so shocked, "What spell _is_ this?" I asked my cousin, horrified.

"Relax. He was already nervous, right? I just amplified his feelings a bit. Now he's panicked. It will last five minutes, just enough for him to get a taste of his own medicine."

"Okay, right…. I can deal with that." They were famous last words. First, Wyler was fidgeting badly. He kept on shaking his hand, the way some kids tap their quills on the desks during History of Magic class. The hourglass, sandwiched between his second and third finger, kept flipping over every time he did this, but Rose was busy straightening her hair and didn't notice and I didn't know what it meant.

"Stop that, will you?" I hollered, seizing the thing from his hands. There were three buttons along the edge labeled M, H, and Y, and my large thumbs crashed down on all of them while I clutched it in my fist.

We decided to leave the snake in the abandoned corridor. A few steps after we turned the corner, Rose asked, "Al, what's that beeping noise?"

"I don't hear anything," I said absently. I was a seeker, trained to hear the flutter of wings, and there was nothing unusual going on. Until Rose dumped her books to the ground, letting her dozens of pages of carefully written notes float down the stairs like rectangular birds of prey.

"Now look," I muttered, bending to pick it all up, "What's got you so freaked out?" Funny, I was feeling a little light-headed- dizzy, like all those times I'd skimmed the bottom of the pond near Grandmum Weasley's. I reached up to massage my temples, a bit of necklace trailing from my hand as I did so.

"Oh, no," Rose yelled, also falling to her knees next to me. "Drop it, Al. You've got to keep yourself from going." I wanted to listen to her, wanted to tell her everything was fine, but how could I, when it felt like I was drowning?

The present me, the shadow me, the time traveler me watched all of this with a sigh. Stupid, stupid, stupid thinking. But I didn't get much of a chance to berate myself. The film reel of my life jerked backwards again, until I almost felt motion-sick. At least I was going faster this time, able to recognize the passage of years instead of mere hours.

_14 years old. I was out riding my Lightningbolt in the middle of the night. Moon-beams turned the tops of the trees silver, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was thinking about all the stuff we'd learned in class about the first and second Wizarding Wars. Why hadn't Dad told us how involved he was? Even the things in our text-book didn't include his side of the story._

_A couple of owls hooted at each other. I brought my broom down to rest in the grass. Next year, when everyone told the Headmistress what they wanted to be after Hogwarts, I'd ask them: "Mum, Dad, I think I'd make a decent author, but I want to write about important stuff, like what really happened with Voldemort. I know it's hard to talk about, but do you think you could let me in on your stories? I'll use a pen-name…."_

I hadn't gotten around to that particular conversation yet. It beat me why I'd help Grawp learn math (he used trees like pencils to scribble in the dirt), but I was terrified of asking my parents these questions. Maybe, I was more scared of the answers I'd get back.

_11 years old. I walked nervously over to the stool with the Sorting Hat on it. My black hair blended in with its black brim, so for a second, the old school relic looked like it had a decorative string of feathers going along the bottom._

_Even though it was hard not to think about my family, all waiting with bated breath over at the Gryffindor table, I told the hat I want to go wherever I'll fit in the best. If I was like the Slytherins, I would be the biggest Muggle-loving Slytherin out there. "Interesting," the Hat whispered in my ear, "Only a few hours ago, you were terrified of what I might reveal about your character, but now you'd rather face the truth than live in denial of your faults. It's very brave and most definitely GRYFFINDOR!" The room exploded in applause._

_8 years old. I started eating my birthday cake with my fingers. Teddy laughed at me and had to pull James back before he started doing the same thing._

_A day old. My mum and dad were smiling over my bald head._

Suddenly, they stopped being _my_ memories. Pictures flashed before my eyes before I could comprehend what they were. I was racing, racing to some finish line, but who knew how buried in the depths of history it was?

I approached a light. I spread my arms out wide, hoping to wedge myself against something solid before I reached it. But no, I was falling, falling now. And my eyes were stinging from the wind rushing past my glasses.

Feeling the full weight of my body returning, I glanced around to see where I landed. It was a classroom, but not like any I'd been to. Kids were standing in pairs dueling each-other. There were no desks, no textbooks, and from what I could tell, no teacher.

"You!" I heard someone bark at me, but it was like an echo of my own voice. I turned to see Dad, maybe fifteen years old, emerald fire burning in his eyes. "Do you want to tell us who you are and what you're doing here?"

Mum stood just a half-step behind him, and I wanted to sigh with frustration. They were the two best people in the world to fix this mess. Hadn't I seen them do miracles after one of James's pranks turned Lily invisible? But there was also something my brother said every time he was forced to approach our parents and admit he'd done something wrong. Voice already hoarse, palms sweating, I stated a simple matter of fact, "You're going to kill me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes: Thank you guys for the reviews and the advice. I took it to heart, and actually, really went on a writing kick. Consider it an after-Easter, school is almost out present, but I've started (and finished) a short fic called "Catching On". Ginny attends a two-week trial for the Harpies, only to discover all her room-mates are fans of the Boy Who Lived. How can she tell them she's dating Harry Potter?**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

Ginny's POV:

"My daughter's dating a Malfoy!" Ron had steam pouring from his ears. It reminded me a lot of the Hogwarts Express, actually.

"In the future, Ronald," Hermione sighed, "And he might be a perfectly nice boy. You wouldn't want to judge Harry just on his relatives, now would you?" Both she and Harry crossed their arms over their chests. Ron was trapped in the middle of their moral barrier, which is no place anyone less than a saint wants to find themselves.

"Scorp's my friend," Al inserted, his voice caught between understanding and anger, "Just because his dad was barmy in school, doesn't mean you need to hate him on sight. I mean if the cousins have accepted him, and there are quite a lot of the over-protective, hexing sort, then he's done quite good."

I was staring off into space as they debated this, not willing to stick my nose in, even to reprimand my brother. The truth was I couldn't stand Malfoy. All the horrors that his father put me through in the Chamber….

_Grease and slime dripped from the walls of Slytherin's underground tunnel. From deep within the earth, I could hear the basilisk moving around, waiting for anyone- maybe me- to call it up. My mouth wrapped around the Parseltongue word for "emerge". _

_It was Tom Riddle teasing me, showing me what he could make me do. In that terrifying moment, while I recalled all the friends that I'd hurt, it seemed silly that my love for them, my hope that they'd forgive me, would come bubbling to the surface. I wasn't worth it. Still, I pictured the faces of my family: red hair, freckles, and Harry's heart-breaking smile. I screamed my feelings as loud as I could. Too bad there was only Voldemort around to hear me. His laugh chilled me to the bone, and I passed out._

_By the time I'd woken up, everything was fine again. Harry had saved the day and the Petrifying victims were being revived thanks to a Mandrake potion. I was probably the only one wearing a mask of happiness instead of the real thing._

"Mum? Mum?" I blinked my eyes at Al, "We kinda lost you for a minute."

"Oh, sorry."

He looked at me expectantly, so I was forced to explain, "I was just thinking…. If they've developed time turners to go back years, why hasn't anyone sent a team back to change the past? So many people have died…. Harry wouldn't have to grow up alone. I might not have started writing in that blasted diary…."

Everybody sat up a little straighter, contemplating the possibilities. Harry's eyes were bright, grass green.

Next to Al's near-black ones, they were positively glowing. "That's not a good idea…." My son looked at me shiftily.

"Why not?"

"For the same reasons I mentioned earlier, Ginny," Hermione tried to sound comforting, "Time is a delicate thing, sent off course by any minimal disruption. We might go back trying to stop Voldemort and end up erasing ourselves from existence. And anyway, things happen for a reason. We've all," she gulped, "been through some hard times, but they've made us the people we are, the fighters we are." She indicated the whole D.A.

Harry hugged my shoulder, like he was giving support and taking some at the same time. The events my first year made sure I would never take him for granted, and I felt some of my good humor return, "Yeah, in some alternative universe, you might not get perfect grades like always… and we know how much that idea scares you."

"It doesn't!" she said too quickly, "but flunking is a very serious problem. I mean, suppose you didn't pass any OWLS…."

"She's just like Rose," Al smiled.

"You know, Ron, Rose Malfoy doesn't sound all that bad." I had to learn to get past my grudge, or at least hide it better if I was going to save my family from Ron's attacks on their love lives.

"How does future me react to _it_?" He wanted to know. I was trying to decide whether he meant the relationship or if that was a nickname for my niece's boyfriend. _He would probably have gone spastic over anyone his daughter went out with. At least this way more people will give him sympathy._

"You, uh, don't know yet."

"WHAT?"

"They're keeping it secret." Al scratched his arm, experimentally.

"_Nobody_ knows?"

"Well, you didn't let me finish…." He hedged, "They're keeping it secret- from you." I have never seen a Weasley turn blue before.

"Oh come on, Uncle Ron. You never told Grandmum and Grandpa Weasley that you dated Lyla Brown's mother, until that Christmas you got really drunk and started dancing on the tables…. Aunt Mione had to levitate you down, only her wand-work wasn't as good as usual (I think she had too much punch, herself) and you sort of slipped. Landed right on top of the coffee-table. Then, there was something with birds, but you get the idea."

Al seemed to have no idea what effect his words were having on us. Harry whispered to me out of the corner of his mouth, "He gets this from you."

"Excuse me!" I was pretty sure my eyebrows disappeared beneath my hairline.

"Who let it slip that Percy snogged Penelope Clearwater?" He asked in a suedo-innocent tone.

"Point." Ours was just a friendly little debate, but fireworks were going off a few feet next to us, as the new "happy couple" went through their first couple's spat. It took, what, thirty seconds?

I wanted to laugh at the way Ron's mouth hung open, like a suckling pig's does around an apple. The image was only helped when Hermione let off a spurt of accidental magic that turned my brother upside down, "Brown? He doesn't mean Lavendar Brown? WHEN do you start liking her?"

"Mione, please," Ron begged, unable to stop himself from flipping over, "I don't know what he's talking about."

"Well, isn't that typical! God forbid, you should actually know something!" Hermione's voice quivered with unshed tears. I think part of the reason they didn't get together sooner is the way they lash out at each-other any time they're feeling insecure.

"You shouldn't talk to him that way. He had to watch you date Krum," I warned my best friend, "And anyway, you get married…. You obviously forgive him."

"I just wish I could hex something." She looked around the room in despair, and a circle five feet in diameter sprang up around her. No-one wanted to be close.

"Not me, not me," Ron was still insisting. He did look ready to barf slugs. I closed my eyes and wished for a way for Hermione to release her anger. The room opened up into a targeting range, including life-size human replicas. She began attacking them with fury. Stuffing came out and littered the floor, but when she was done, she had a calm, contented look on her face.

She set Ron down, even though she was still avoiding eye contact.

"That's it!" Harry palmed himself in the head. "How is it that we're in the Room of Requirement and it never occurred to us that _the room_ could send Al back?"

"You mean we make the whole thing a time-machine?" This didn't seem real. Sure I came from a world of magic, but even wizards have their limits. None of which would ever apply to Harry.

"Why not? It doesn't break Gump's Laws of Trasmutation, or whatever Hermione calls it." For once, she didn't bother to correct him. Instead, she contributed her own insight, "Something interesting about your Dad's map Harry. Even though it never shows what's in this room, there are notes about it saying it can produce tunnels to the outside. The Marauders sometimes went to Hogsmeade along this route, if they didn't have to sneak through the Shrieking Shack first."

"Really?" Harry was excited. I think he loved having all the pieces fall into place. It made sense since he'd spent practically his entire life trying to reclaim all the parts that were stolen from him, like family, friends….

"Of course, that's not nearly as hard as crossing the time barrier, but it _could_ work." The trio huddled together to do their plotting, but with Harry's arm around me, I felt welcomed into the group. I liked it, but….

"You've got to let everyone help you."

He shook his head, "Ginny, that's not usually how we…."

"But that's how you're going to start doing them. The three of you founded the D.A to what? Sit around and twiddle their thumbs? Or to make things happen? Everyone here's signed a bloody contract, 'I will not reveal any secrets of this organization. I will fight Dark magic.' It was their show of faith in you, and now you've got to lay one back." I got louder and louder as I talked, watching as the flicker in people's eyes as it moved farther back into the crowd, until even the ones squirreled away in the corner of the room were excited about pitching in.

"She's got a point, mate," Ron told him, fingering his wand nervously.

Harry looked at me weirdly, but then gave a stout nod, "We'll do it together then."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes: Finished! I'll probably go back over this story in a couple of weeks, repairing plot holes and tidying up some things I'm unhappy with, but in general, I like how it turned out. It's my first longer story I've completed.**

**I do have two new short fics that I'd like you guys to check out, ****Catching On**** and ****Falling Hard****.**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

Chapter Eight

Hermione's POV:

I couldn't believe what just happened. Ginny, matching Harry look for look, had told him flat out that he needed to accept other people's help. I expected him to resist. After all, Ron and I have been making this point to him for _years_. He still expects us to run off at the soonest opportunity… would much rather keep us out of it….

Instead, he shrugged**.** Happily. And said, "We'll do it together then," like he let people past his walls every day. _Really, Harry?_

I couldn't deny that I was happy for him, though. Being informed of the future was an assurance that he could keep some of the people he cared about. He might not have been this relaxed since the day his parents died. Family was that important.

While I was thinking about this, I noticed Ron hovering uneasily over my shoulder. Despite how angry I was with him, it was also incredibly cute the way he watched my expression for signs how to act. It was a face that I would love to see every morning when I woke up… if his mouth wouldn't always ruin things the way it did now, "This should be a pretty easy adventure, mate. All we have to do is get a bunch of people to wish Al was home. Presto. It's done."

My brown hair blew around my face as I turned to stare at him incredulously, "Are you kidding? We have so many variables to deal with! When do we send Al back to? Oh, don't look at me like that Ronald. I know, the future, but an hour before he left? A day? Maybe a couple of minutes early so it doesn't look like he ever left?"

Conversations broke out all across the room by people who had not considered how dangerous our undertaking was. _Time travel is one of the most sensitive areas of magic. We can't afford to make mistakes._ Even without realizing it, I directed my thoughts at one Ms. Lavender Brown, whose claw-like fingers kept waving back and forth while she talked to Parvati.

"It can't be any time this Wyler is with them," Harry was sure.

"Even if it would be nice to give Al another chance to hex him," Ginny couldn't refrain from mentioning.

"He shouldn't just appear anywhere either. People will know that you can't apparate in or out of Hogwarts. They'll look for other explanations." I beamed at a Ravenclaw with braids.

"What if Al lands in the Room of Requirement of the future? He can navigate around from there." It was a serious suggestion and I was already working out the details, when Al raised his hand tentatively. It was the same look he'd had when he announced who his parents were, and one that I was quickly starting to associate with him, not Harry.

"It sort of burned down."

"How?" And how was the damage not repaired if it was a normal fire?

He hesitated, "I probably shouldn't tell you. It has to do with the fight against Voldemort…."

"No, you're right, you're right," I muttered, seemingly absentmindedly. In reality, I was coming to grips with what I had to do.

First, I gave myself a minute to picture my kiss with Ron. It had been so perfect, like all thoughts had floated out of my head and I was just left feeling… sparks, magic…. It hurt more than I thought it would to force that image back, but I had to make the choice to preserve the time-line. Even if it meant having Lavender Brown come between us, the future was more important.

Still, I could barely speak past the tightness in my throat, "We'll also have to wipe all the other memories of your visit, Al."

The reactions were immediate. Harry's and Ginny's expressions fell and they quickly let go of each other's hands, like a chain lock on a door had been brutally cut. It was better than meeting someone else's probing blue eyes though. _Why must I always, always be the bearer of bad news?_

"No! Just no!" Ginny cried, and I heard the voice of a fourteen-year-old girl surface again. "He's… my son. I can't just forget him."

"It'll be like going backwards. I'm tired of having my life stalled this way. At least while Al's been here, everything's been…" Harry sat down defeated, "Too good to be true."

Al looked sad, "It's not my time, Mum, Dad. And I don't think it's yours either. You're not… supposed to be together yet. You've got to believe what you guys have is so strong, it'll lead you to each other someday, but not until it's supposed to happen." He laughed next, but it was tired and worn, "Would you really want James born a year early?"

Harry gave an equally pained smile, "I want the future to get here as soon as possible." And then, as if he wasn't sure what he was doing, he spread his arms about a foot apart. Al blushed, but obediently stepped toward his dad and gave him a hug.

"It was nice meeting you, Al," Harry said, clapping him on the back. Ginny hugged him too. "A word of advice," she whispered. "Don't tell your story so dramatically in the future, or we might actually have heart attacks."

"Of course, of course."

"Tell Rosie and Hugo hi for me," I squealed last minute.

"Their dad too," Ron put his arm around my shoulders. The nice little family moment was broken by someone's shriek.

"I've got it!" The same Ravenclaw from before raced over to us, "Let's send Al to the Hogwarts kitchens a couple of minutes before his other-self vanishes. The House elves will love having him there, won't ask many questions, and he can run up to the Charms corridor a minute or two after Rose notices he's missing. She'll be the only one to tell something's different."

"It's a good idea," I said, struggling to focus on just the logical things right now.

"Thank you, I'll give everyone jobs." She went around telling people want to concentrate on. About a third of the group was to be focusing on the when, another third on the where, and the last third were supposed to design a fake memory to relay over our real ones of the evening, so that no-one would be suspicious afterwards.

"On 3."

"1-2-3."

A portal appeared out of no-where, blowing papers and text books around the room. It swirled with blue light, and reached out tendrils to touch each person's head and wipe them of the last few hours. Just as I was the feeling the first icy jolts, I saw Al walking towards its center, and finally disappearing.

I wondered if he was going to make it okay. I wondered if other kids in the castle could hear all the noise the time vortex was making. I wondered… why everyone had stopped practicing their shield charms. This was a D.A. lesson! Why was everyone just standing around, staring at a wall?

"Harry, Harry," I called over to him, "I think you need to restore some discipline. People are going to forget everything they learned over the holidays."

"Calm down, Hermione. I think we all just lost our train of thought." He turned to face his students, "Shield charms require you to patch up all your mental defenses…."

Epilogue:

Ginny's POV:

Cho-the-Fantastic bolted out of D.A. class pretty quickly, black hair trailing behind her like smoke. Harry looked upset by it. I think he was looking to get a "Merry Christmas" from her.

"Come on Ginny, let's get going," Michael steered me in the direction of the door. From prior experience, I knew that a bunch of his guy-friends would be outside waiting and he would be looking to show me off. The first time had gotten him a warning. The second time bogeys had attacked his face. The third time… proved he would never listen. I'd have to break up with him soon. There was just no way I could keep doing this. "Go ahead." I told him, "I think I left my bag over in the corner."

"But you don't…" he began, while I narrowed my eyes at him. He quickly covered, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

As soon as he was gone, I strolled over to the bookcases, examining the worn leather spines of Defense Against the Dark Arts volumes and broken Sneakoscopes. I thought I was the last one left, when I turned around to head back towards the Gryffindor Common Room and ran into someone.

"Gin, Ginny," I blushed over Harry's accidental use of a nickname. _Gah! I'm supposed to be over this._ "What are you still doing here?" he asked.

"I wanted to talk to you." Now that I said it, the words couldn't seem truer, "I know this can't be your greatest year, toad and all. A lot of people are watching you."

"Well, thanks," he said sarcastically.

"I'm not finished. Some of them do because they think you're insane and others because you will forever be the Boy-Who-Lived."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, considering, "It will be kind of ironic after I'm dead, even if I'm a hundred at the time and it was natural causes."

"Boy-Who-Lived-Before-Dying would be kind of wordy," I admitted, "But my point is that there's some people who see Harry, who just see Harry. Like Ron, and Hermione, and me. It was just Harry that saved me from the Chamber. And just Harry who started up this group to help people. We wouldn't want you to be anybody else." The unspoken thought of Cho passed between us.

He spent a long time just looking at me after that, green eyes going through so many emotions it was like watching a movie.

"That means a lot to me, Gin," he said huskily, and I nodded, happy that I could give him a Christmas present he could carry with him inside.

Still, we didn't move. I heard a slow, growing sound coming from above our heads. I glanced up. _Mistletoe._ But I didn't make it appear….

I glanced down again. Harry was leaning towards me almost imperceptibly. I felt electric current running all along my body, pleasure building up in the pit of my stomach, and the thought, _This can't be happening, _going over and over in my head. His lips brushed mine.

After that, I wasn't sure if it was him kissing me or me kissing him. All I knew was that I was touching, smelling, breathing Harry, that he was the greatest thing in the world, and every time I'd told myself I didn't love him anymore had been a lie. This was right. _We_ were right together.

He pulled away breathing heavily, but he also seemed very happy. I didn't give him time to recover, but instead, danced to the door, yelling, "Merry Christmas Harry" over my shoulder.

He shook his head slowly, like he had no clue what just happened, but from just outside in the hallway, I heard him say, "You too Ginny, you too."

**Author's Notes: Thanks to harryginnypotter, lizy425, imaginationcraze, Jessica682, whispered touches, nikegirl0329, kiwifan13, Brittnodo, gleekfreak32, and sbmcneil.**


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